The First War

The first Barbary war was waged by the United States against the North African states of Morocco, Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis. North African states harbored and supported the pirates who were against American shipping vessels in the Mediterranean ocean which caused the first war. Thomas Jefferson, the American President at the time, refused to pay the raised tribute price of $225,000 which caused the second war. Tripoli's ruler, Yusuf Karmanli immediately declared war on May 14th, 1801.The war lasted from 1801 to 1805. Although it didn't put an end to piracy against American vessels, it did prove that America could stand firm in its decisions.